Mine-curtain raiser.



No. 738,262. PATENTED SEPT. 8,- 1903.

J. WAGK. I

' MINE CURTAIN KAISER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 1a, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Na. 738,262. PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.?

J; WAGK.

MINE CURTAIN RAISER' APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR... m. 1903.

mi 10mm.

tain to stiffen it transversely,

UNITED STATES Patented-September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WAOK, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO WILLIAM L.

' DAVIS, OF CANTON, OHIO.

MINE-CURTAIN RAISER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,262, dated September 8, 1903. Application filed March 18, 1903- Serial No. 148,641. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WAOK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oanton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Mine-Curtain Raiser, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a rocking frame for lifting a mine-curtain; and the object of the improvement is to raise and lower the curtain in a speedy and positive manner by utilizing the weight of a mine-car for that purpose and without any complicated intervening mechanism or gearing. I attain this object by the construction and arrangement of weights and levers illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a perspective view of a section of track, showing the curtain lowered; Fig. 2, a side elevation of same; and Fig. 3, a side elevation of same, showing the curtain raised.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Thecurtaiu-frame is made of the usual sill 1, side posts 2, and cross-piece 3, from which cross-piece the curtain 4 is hung orsuspended, preferably along one 'face of the side posts. The usual cross-strips 5 are used on the curwhich strips also serve to space the folds of the curtain; but these strips form no particular part of this invention.

The rocking frame is made of the rockposts 6, the curtain-arms 7, the toggle-levers 8 and 9, the toggle-braces 10, the weight-arms 11, the weight-braces 12, the tie-bar 13, and the rock-shaft 14.

The rock-shaft is mounted across the track under the rails 15 in suitable journal-bearings, as 16, and is located a short distance from the curtain-frame on the side opposite the curtain, and the lower ends of the rockposts 6 are attached to the rock-shaft on each side of the track. in line with the side posts of the curtain-frame. 'The upper ends of the rock-posts are connected and stayed by the tie-bar 13, which is preferably located at the same height as the cross'piece of the curtainframe.

The curtain-arms 7 are pivoted to the upper ends of the rock-posts and normally extend thence downward to the farther side of the sill of the curtain-frame, where the arms are preferably slightly bent to conform to the face of the sill. The lower edge of the curtain is attached to the lower ends of the arms, as by bolts 17, and is also attached to the cross-bar 18, which is preferably provided to connect and stay the lower ends of the curtain-arms and to stiffen the lower edge of the curtain.

The toggle-levers 8 are pivoted by their outer ends to the rock-posts, preferably at their upper ends, and, togetherwith the curtain-arms and the toggle-joints 19, are tied to the arms near the middle thereof by the tog gle-links 10, so that the toggle-levers S and the curtain-arms 7 are fixed with reference to each other and both turn together on their common pivots atthe upper ends of the rockposts, and the toggle-levers -9 are pivoted by their outer ends to the side posts of the curtain-frame near the middle thereof, so that when the rock-posts are oscillated to and from the curtain-frame the toggle-joints are lowered and raised, together with the curtainarms, which are tied to the joints.

The weight-arms 11 are attached to the toggle-joint and are preferably formed continuous with the toggle-links, as illustrated on the farther side in Fig.1, and the weightarms are also preferably tied to the togglelinks by the weight-braces 12. By locating the toggle-links and weight-arms on one side, preferably the outer side, of the rock-posts and forming the weight-braces to pass im mediately on the other side of these posts the weight-braces constitute a guide or loop around the rock-posts, within which the posts operate and by which the various parts are held in proper alineinent.

The balance-weights 20 are adjustably attached on the free ends of the weight-arms, and these arms are so located and directed with reference to the other parts of the rocking frame that when the curtain is down and the frame is in its normal position the balance-weights are located between the line of the rock-shaft and the curtain-frame, whereby their weight is added 'to that of the curtain and the rocking frame to hold the lower edge of the curtain down to keep it closed;

but as the curtain is raised the balanceweights first pass over the line of the rockshaft and then gradually leave it on the side away from the curtain, so that as more of the curtain is carried by the curtain-arms the balance-weights come more into play, and thereby partly counterbalance the weight of the curtain, and the force or power required to operate the rocking frame is greatly reduced.

The rocking frame is preferably operated by the depressible bars 21, located on the outer side of the track-rail, one each way from the curtain-frame. The movement of the bars is communicated by the compound cranks 22, one arm of each of which is pivoted to one of the bars and the other arm is pivoted to one of the operating-rods 23, located alongside of the track, and the crank-shafts are suitably journaled in the bearings, as 24, mounted on the track. One operating-rod is pivoted directly to the rock-post, and the other one is also connected therewith by means of the intermediate reversing-lever 25 and its link 26, so that all the parts operate in unison. The counterweights 27 are preferably provided on the double cranks to balance the weight of the depressible bars.

Inclined bars, as 28, are pivoted to the outer ends of the depressible bars and extend alongside of the track-rail to the brackets or shoes, as 29, in which shoes the outer ends of the inclined bars have a bearing and are free to slideendwise. The wheels of the mine-cars tread first on the inclined bar on approaching the curtain, which on being depressed by the weight of the car carries down with it the depressible bar, and by means of the compound cranks the operating-rods are moved endwise, thereby throwing the rocking frame away from the curtain-frame and raising the curtain, as shown in Fig. 3. The curtain remains raised until the car has traveled over the depressible bar and off the inclined banat the farther side, when the curtain drops by its own weight.

In order to adjust all the parts so that the rocking frame will respond promptly to the movements of the depressible bars, I prefer to make the operating-rods in sections extending between the several compound cranks and to join the ends of these sections by the turnbuckles 30. The crank-pins 31 are arranged to operate in the turnbuckles and against the ends of the operating-bar sections, and by means of the turnbuckles each joint can be properly adjusted. This adjusting device, which is illustrated and described but not separately claimed herein, will be made the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination, a curtain-frame, a curtain hung on the frame, an adjacent rocking frame comprising a rock-shaft, rock-posts on the shaft, curtain-arms pivoted to the rockposts above and attached to the curtain below, toggle-levers pivoted respectively with the curtain-arms to the rock-posts and to the curtain-frame, the toggle-joints being tied to the curtain-arms, a weight on the rocking frame located to bear with the curtain when the same is lowered, and partly counterbalance it when raised, and means for oscillating the rocking frame whereby the curtain is raised and lowered.

2. In combination, a curtain-frame, a curtain hung on the frame, an adjacent rocking frame comprising a rock-shaft, rock-posts on the shaft, curtain-arms pivoted to the rockposts above and attached to the curtain below, and toggle-levers pivoted respectively with the curtain-arms to the rock-posts and to the curtain-frame, the toggle-joints being tied to the curtain-arms.

3. In combination, a fixed post, a rock-post pivoted at its lower end adjacent to the fixed post, an arm pivoted to the, rock-post at its upper end and extending alongside the fixed post, and toggle-levers pivoted respectively with the arm to the rock-post and to the fixed post, the toggle-joint being tied to the arm.

4. In combination, a track, a rocking frame on the track, compound cranks pivoted on the track, a depressible rail on the track pivoted to one arm of each crank, an operatingrod comprising sectionsjoined by turnbuckles and pivoted to the rocking frame, and pins on the other arms of the cranks operating in the turnbuckles and against the ends of the rod-sections.

5. In combination a curtain-frame, a curtain hung on the frame, an adjacent rocking frame, arms pivoted to the rocking frame and attached to the curtain below, toggle-levers pivoted to the respective frames, and links connecting the toggle-joints with the curtainarms.

6. In combination, afixed frame, an adjacent rocking frame, arms pivoted to the rocking frame and extending alongside the fixed frame, toggle-levers pivoted to the respective frames, and links connecting the toggle-joints with the arms.

7. In combination, a curtain-frame, a curtain hung on the frame, an adjacent rocking frame comprising a rock-shaft, rock-posts on the shaft, and curtain-raising arms pivoted JOHN WACK.

Witnesses:

ELSIE F. MALLORY, HARRY FREASE. 

